


An Unwelcome Truth

by thedoctorisinx



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mild Gore, Panic Attacks, Rape Aftermath, completed!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23613769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedoctorisinx/pseuds/thedoctorisinx
Summary: The Doctor left him on Gallifrey to die.But he survived.He always survives.This time is different, though. This time, somebody wants to talk to him.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a fanfic in years, and this is my first time posting to this site. Be nice to me!
> 
> This story fits in with my own personal headcanon of The Master following the Timeless Children episode. A headcanon I will always consider to be canon in my heart of hearts.

There's something that could be said about chaos. It consumes you. Distracts you. Takes you away from the pain of your own mind and shoves it into your hands. It allows you to commit horrible, awful actions, if nothing but to get a little relief from the anguish inside of you.

He was fascinated by it. Not necessarily in a way that made him fall head over heels for it, but he was fascinated in a way that pushed beyond the barrier of just simple excitement. Chaos brought out his anger in a controlled, brilliant, _beautiful_ way. It ensured some direction, some _control_ over his life. And that was what he needed. Control. After all, that was his namesake. The reason he had picked such an... abstract, _unconventional_ one. To symbolise, above all, that he was **done** being walked over.

Done being the puppet. Done being used.

He had power now.

But despite that power, despite how much it _made him feel_ in control, there was one person that could always evade him. One person that - despite all of his efforts - would never bow down to him in the way that he wanted.

She had ran. Left a human, to pick up the slack.

Never taking responsibility.

He didn't reach the nearby TARDIS he had held in there for this exact purpose. None of them did. All of his work was **ERADICATED** , in an instant. But that begged the question: how did he know that? How was he thinking? Alive? How did he _survive_? 

The anger in him at The Doctor subsided, allowing way for huge confusion.

He had a knack for surviving, he really did. He was about as bad at it as The Doctor was. And The Doctor, well. They had established for themselves that she had unlimited regenerations. So the concept was impressive within itself.

The Master always survived, whether he intended to or not.

But this time felt different. The whole thing, from the beginning, had been a suicide mission. He had never intended to survive. So why was he now, breathing, panting, crying almost, into a white, marble floor? Why could he feel his hearts race? Why could he feel every little hair on the back of his neck stand up straight at a sudden, coughing sound that split through the air.

He flung himself over, wincing brightly at the light above. An arm covered his eyes, and with a breath, he finally looked to his surroundings. It was a wide space, a circular one. There was a desk, almost like a teacher's desk, off to the side, with an advanced screen arching towards the chair. Papers were flung on it's surface. And so were - buttons. Controls. Embedded into the wooden surface itself. Not unlike a TARDIS.

But this wasn't a TARDIS. This felt more like a _classroom,_ despite it's lack of _desks_.

The coughing came from a woman, which, he realised, had been watching him. At the sudden realisation that he was not alone, he pushed up, feeling the Cyberium within him _**squirm**_ in protest.

_He looked a sight._

The woman had white hair. She was elderly, with a face that could easily compare to the sternness of an old teacher of his. She was dressed in long, white clothing, comfortable looking. He could tell just by looking at her, that whatever had happened - it was **her** doing.

" _Who are you?_ "

The first question that escaped his lips was met with an uncertain expression. The woman, currently unnamed, did not seem ready to give an answer, and instead approached the desk with a smooth grace to her step.

"I've been watching you. I thought you might have needed a helping hand."

"You thought wrong."

There was something that put him off this woman. Something... familiar. Something that ignited a hatred in him, not unlike what he held for The Doctor. Gritting his teeth, he stumbled forward, pressing his hands to the desk for support, eyeing the woman with a struggle that he doubted she would understand. The Cyberium was getting _restless,_ **angry** that their plan had failed.

"Let me help you with that." The woman produced a small tube, with three little needles sticking out the end. She held it out to The Master as she sat down in the chair. For a moment, there was a staring contest, as The Master considered what to do here. What this tube was. What it would do. If he should really trust---- "You can keep it." The woman interrupted his thought process, as if she knew what he was thinking. "The Cyberium. I don't want it. It's yours."

His face twisted into a confused expression. He didn't like not knowing. But it was restless. And he had wanted to die anyway. What was the harm - he wondered - in seeing what this thing did?

He snatched it away from her, and as if he knew what to do, he stumbled back, now in the centre of the room. He pressed the needles into his arm, and he felt the Cyberium _jolt_. _Fight_. It was painful, unimaginably so, but without so much as a breath later, the Cyberium was gently _chinking_ around the tube. He arose it, allowing his eyes to scan, carefully, over the white, metallic coloured being.

...Well then. 

That was... interesting.

He pressed it into his pocket, giving it a small pat as his eyes now rose back to the woman. The stranger, that was just sitting there. Watching. There was another silence. A long one. And he finally spoke, an anger arising in him at the _lack of knowledge_ or _explanation_ she had given him thus far.

"I assume that **you** \- was the one to get me off Gallifrey? You said you were watching me."

"The both of you." She corrected, calmly, a small rise of her head.

"The Doctor."

"Yes."

There was something in his throat that stopped him talking. And there was a weight in his hearts, a small sickly feeling stirring in his stomach. Something was not right here.

"Why?" He finally settled with a sharp intake of breath.

Her eyes fell to the ground. The silence stirred around them once more. A silence that The Master, at this point, was sick of. Although, he awaited, simply, for an answer. Something told him that this composed, strange woman was more than she seemed. And that her next words - were perhaps - something that was worth waiting for.

"Because I put a detector in The Matrix. A device that told me when those memories were being looked at, by her, or by anyone else." 

Time Lord.

She was a Time Lord.

The Master hadn't realised until now - although, it had made all the sense in the world. He staggered forward once more, pressing a hand to the desk as his gaze ripped into her. No wonder she was unsettling. No wonder she ignited hatred in him. A Time Lord. One that had escaped him - maybe?

"Who are you?" He asked again, this time, through gritted teeth.

"You know who I am." The woman, with a small rise of her eyebrow, cocked her head forward to meet his gaze, studying it carefully. And when The Master shook his head with a hopeless, lost expression, she then gave him the answer he had been asking since the very beginning of this interaction.

"I've been known by many names, Master. But the one that's most relevant to our current situation?

Tecteun.

My name is Tecteun."


	2. Chapter 2

The Master shut down. Froze, basically. He stopped breathing, feeling a rush of adrenaline - of _pain_ \- of... unfathomable **anger** , rush to the surface. His mind was racing, and all he could think about was how he wanted nothing more than to _rip_ this woman apart. The person who established the Time Lords. The person who experimented on a **child** to obtain a power she would otherwise have no access to. The person who caused _everything_ bad to happen. All the horrible things that the Time Lords had done over the ages, all the horrible acts that they had committed even on their own people. Everything that had happened to **him**.

It was her. Her fault. It was all her fault.

He felt his heart beats fast, and it took everything for him to not react. To _stay_. To be good. To grit his teeth and just... _not do anything_. The woman, now known as Tecteun, allowed him time. She didn't seem scared; or fearful of the Master - which he believed was a mistake on her part. Instead, she seemed patient. Allowing him to process the new information. Allowing him to take the next move; to say the next thing. It was a standoff that he had not expected to happen - ever. He had simply believed that Tecteun was lost. Maybe already dead. No one lived that long, not even Time Lords, because that would mean that she was _billions_ of years old, and it would have broken her own rule. Twelve regenerations.

His hand balled up into a fist, and he suddenly remembered to breathe, some logical thought now returning to his mind. Because as much as he wanted to end her, right here, right now, there were questions. Questions that wriggled their way into his mind, unwelcomed.

Why had she saved him?

Why had she helped him with the Cyberium?

Why had she watched him and The Doctor in the Matrix?

And why... _why was she stupid enough to reveal herself to him_? To reveal herself to the **murderer** of all of her little Gallifreyan creations.

Swallowing thickly, he focused on one or two of the switches on the desk. It must have been how she had managed to get him off. Transport. But not short range - no. She wasn't on the planet he had been picked up from. This thing was powerful. 

It didn't surprise him, actually. If this was truly Tecteun, she would have the best Time Lord technology they had ever created.

"What's to stop me from killing you?" 

The question ripped through him, suddenly, as he arose his gaze back to her. It surprised even himself; having not expected words to emerge from his mouth until he was ready. But when would he ever be ready for this?

"Because you have questions. And a right to know the truth."

"I know the truth." He snapped back, the venom finally escaping him. The amount of self control he currently had would make poor men cry, although now it was unhinged; he couldn't stop speaking. "I know what you did. We both do. So what's your aim with this? Why save me? Why spy on us? _Haven't you already caused enough pain?_ "

And he shoved the table, hard. It rocked towards her, but not enough to touch her. It was almost as though she had been ready for that.

He waited for her response. Tecteun seemed to study him for a moment, before finally rising again. She moved around the desk, and in doing so, produced a seat that The Master had not yet seen. She placed it firmly on the ground, before him. Her hands seemed to grip around the bar, as she leaned into it. As if for support.

"There's more."

"... _How_ could there possibly be more?"

"There are things I erased from the Matrix."

"The Division."

"No." A hesitation. "I did not touch that. That wasn't my doing." 

"Then what is it?" He hissed, suddenly, grabbing the chair and flinging it to the side, moving to stand just _inches_ from her. "What else could you have **possibly** done? Go on, spit it out. Get it over with. Because I'm warning you, Tecteun, my patience is wearing very thin here. And I will not hesitate to _drag_ this truth from you, kicking and **screaming** if i have to."

Tecteun seemed unphased, aside from a small _flash_ of concern in her eyes. There's a beat, and the woman moved, returning to her seat as she dragged the papers messily to the side. "Take a seat, Master. I'll answer all of your questions." She said, simply, pressing her arms to the now tidy-ish desk, leaning into it a bit. And, she waited.

The Master stood there, dumbfound, his anger fizzling back down and under his control. He was lost for a couple of moments, unsure on what his next move was. If he was honest, he didn't expect that kind of reaction from her. But honestly... with what Tecteun had done in the past, he really shouldn't be surprised.

He closed his eyes, reigning in his temper, and then he moved, jolting towards the chair and pulling it up, slamming it on the opposite side of the desk to Tecteun, and planting himself there.

"Fine. Start talking." He said, simply, with a harsh **shrug**. He crossed his leg, and his arms, simply watching her. Waiting. Expecting.

And then Tecteun spoke.

"You know the story." She said, simply. "How I found The Doctor. What I did when I saw her regenerate." She tilted her head, leaning more-so into her desk than before, her eyes drifting off. "This is not a secret to confuse with an excuse. It's just simple facts."

"Just spit it out."

Her gaze shifted back to him. He was impatient, getting more restless by the second, just itching to grab hold of her throat. But with a small gentle smile and a relaxation, she continued, as if he wasn't thinking any of that. As if she didn't know the danger she was in.

"There was a disease on Gallifrey. One that was wiping out every last one of us. My neighbours died. My friends died. Even my parents. I thought I could find the answer in The Doctor. She came from another... universe, an unknown place, after all, but trying to find answers in her was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was impossible. Until she regenerated." Her tone shifted, and The Master seemed to see something change in her. Was it, what? Remorse?

Seriously? _Remorse_?

How **fucked up** was that? 

There was a moment, and then all of her attention seemed to focus on him, her arms retreating as she leaned back into her seat.

"You know about the experiments. You know about everything. What you don't know, was my personal stake in the matter. I wanted to save the people of Gallifrey, yes. But I also wanted to save someone else. The one The Doctor played with as a child. The one that was there when she first fell. I wanted to save my son. He was just a child. And he was sick." 

"You used another child to fix your own. It doesn't make it better." The Master simply said, a bitter hatred pouring out of his mouth.

"No. It doesn't." Tecteun agreed. "But it makes a _difference_. Master, the name of that child, _my_ child, my **son.**.. His name was Koschei."

A beat.

"You have more involvement in this than you know. And you have more history than you can possibly imagine."


	3. Chapter 3

He had felt sick before. But this time he actually thought he was going to be sick. His mouth fell open, as he just stared at her, his mind not really working. Because what she was saying? Impossible. He knew his history. He knew who he was. He was raised on Gallifery, long after Time Lord society had risen. He was raised to play in the red grass. He was raised into the Academy. He was raised with his friend, his stupid, _idiotic_ , **mess** of a friend. He knew himself. He knew every _single_ moment of his pathetic life. 

And she was _not_ going to take that away from him.

"You're my son."

Oh.

She was still in the reveal moment.

There was a sob that rose deep within him, but it came out as a cough; a laugh. A harsh _sharp_ noise that bounced off every inch of the awful white walls. Because he didn't believe her. He didn't believe her. _He didn't- **He didn't--**_ ** _SHE WAS LYING_**.

"What is this, **revenge**?" He burst out, slamming his hands down on the table as his sudden movement knocked away the chair from beneath him. "Revenge for me killing all your **precious. Little. Time Lords**? Revenge for me _burning_ your home to the ground, is that what this is? You _fucking_ liar." There was a manic grin on his face suddenly, and he moved, doing what he should have done right at the beginning of this conversation.

He grabbed her by the throat, and he slammed her into the wall that was just behind her, getting immediately into her face, his breath harsh and warm to her cheek. And for once, he saw a crack. A wince of pain; a distortion of her cold expression. He tightened his grip, fully intending to strangle this _bitch_ to death. But that was when--

She rose a hand, and tapped it, only just, on the side of her head. Suddenly, he was an observer. Watching two little children play freely, in some _red grass._ One of those children was clearly the child that had been involved in the accident that had caused The Doctor's first regeneration and - the other? Was The Doctor herself. He staggered, raising a hand to his own throat as though it had been _him_ that had been strangled, falling to the ground, only just managing to catch himself.

"It's hard to avoid." Came a voice, from behind him. Tecteun, standing, arms pressed around herself. "Transferring physical sensations as well as the intended memories. Your throat will feel sore for a while."

" ** _What is this?_** " He demanded, his rage immediately flaring again. He pushed himself up and dashed towards her. But he couldn't grab her. His hands just _moved right through_ her. 

"A memory." Tecteun looked at him, a spark of - sadness? - in her gaze, at his actions.

Again? Sadness? _Remorse_? This woman did not have the **_right_** to feel any of this----

"One of many that I intend to show you, before I wake you up." She continued, ignoring whatever thoughts that might have been floating around The Master's mind. She motioned to the two children, and with a hesitation; a helpless breath, The Master turned to look over to them. "The two of you. Her first face. This is before it all started. You were already good friends."

"I don't want to listen to this." She had moved around him, facing the children. The Master simply strode forward, eyes digging _deep_ into the woman's face. "I don't want to listen to a _word_ you have to say."

"But you're going to." Tecteun looked to him, then. And The Master suddenly felt his blood drain from his face. He felt faint. As though he had absolutely _no_ power over this situation.

Because he didn't. Tecteun had taken all of his power away from him. He was lost, in the memory that she had shoved into his mind, after she had _invaded_ his mind in the first place. He felt- violated. **Helpless.**

He hated it.

He hated **her**.

He tore his gaze away, allowing it to land on the little girl and the little boy playing. He gritted his teeth, digging his fingernails into his hands as he did so. Trying to quench the anger. Trying to push it back. Because he was helpless. So he needed to be clever. Let her have her say. Let her play her games. And as soon as it was over... as soon as she gave him an _inch_ of freedom... he'd take action.

Soon enough, the image changed. The girl now looked different, and the boy? The same as before. 

"I get it. She regenerates. Endlessly. Because of your actions."

"That's not what I'm showing you. Look closer. The boy."

Tecteun had still not taken her gaze off him. He felt it, seering into the side of his face. And for a moment, he realised how The Doctor must have felt in the Matrix. Helpless to change anything, helpless to the knowledge that she had been receiving. Pushing that feeling of understand down, harshly, he moved closer. Doing as she said. Focusing on the boy, looking him over.

He was happy - nothing out of the ordinary. But as time went on, and Tecteun changed the images, there was a difference. Each time he returned to that very same play area, with the different faces of Theta Sigma, he was skinnier. There was less colour in his face, his bones were more prominent. Almost like the boy was - wasting away.

"You lasted twelve years." Tecteun spoke behind him, her voice now softer. But The Master didn't clock it. Instead, he was looking at the boy grow up. There was something about the image that disturbed him. He was still in denial; because the woman next to him, the **monster** beside him, could not be his mother. Much less, biological. But what he was seeing spoke to him, in a tragic, awful way. It was almost as though he was feeling the boy's suffering. The way he was unable to control what was happening to him. The desperation to live. The conflict over his best friend.

His eyes shifted towards Theta. A boy, currently, with a very familiar, **fake** smile. The kind of smile The Doctor wore on her face when she was really hiding something awful. Those two had been friends. And yet, they were both suffering, at the expense of Tecteun and her mission to discover the secrets of regeneration. He - couldn't imagine being that child. Seeing his best friend die, suffer, return, die, suffer, return - he couldn't. Because he wouldn't have just sat there. He wouldn't have done _nothing_. He would have tried to help, in any way he possibly could.

But- that child hadn't. That child had just sat there. 

It wasn't him. It couldn't be him.

"You were the second person to receive the gift of regeneration."

"Curse." He corrected, bitterly, absently, eyes digging into the scene as it faded, that very same boy now in front of Tecteun - a man - looking cautious, looking scared. But most of all - looking half _dead_. He swallowed, hard. "...Why are you showing me this?"

"Because you don't believe me. And because it's the truth of your past, and you have a right to know."

He gritted his teeth. A right to know? Not only was it **not** the truth, but it made no sense. Because if it **was** true, then why here? Why now? After all these _years_? He bit his tongue, keeping quiet as he observed the man inject the same thing into him as Tecteun had. Splicing the secret of regeneration into it's first true victim.

Immediately, there was a glow of orange light.

And seconds later, a girl dropped to the ground, being held, coughing, by her father. Tecteun rocked the child, back and forth, tears in his eyes as the newly regenerated girl whimpered, **confused** \- but _alive_. _**Healthy**_. A newly found future awaiting in her DNA. The illness that had plagued her - _gone_.

The image faded away into darkness. Tecteun carefully moved, placing herself in front of The Master. 

"The Doctor's memories were wiped multiple times. Namely, after her service to The Division. This was after the twelve limit regeneration was implemented into every Gallifreyan born. ...My time was done; I had done my service, and was held up high for my work towards the creation of the Time Lords. They didn't need me anymore. But - I held just enough power to influence them. To ensure that The Doctor was not alone."

There was a hard swallow from the woman - as though she was struggling. The Master resisted the urge to roll his eyes, because she didn't care. She didn't care at all, despite that look in her eyes. Despite how her voice wavered at the story. It was all **~~FAKE~~**.

"I lifted the twelve limit regeneration on you. I made them keep the two of you together."

Fake. All of it.

"So you grew up together. Again, and again, and again. Never knowing, never _realising_ how many lifetimes you had lived in each other's company."

"I still don't believe you."

"Yes. You **do**." Tecteun stepped closer, eyes searching The Master's, which returned the look with a cold, detached stare. "Kosche-"

" _That is not my name._ "

" ** _Koschei_**. You are my **son**." Suddenly, there was a firmness in her voice. One he lost his voice over; one he couldn't argue against. Because now, what he had witnessed was getting to him. What he had seen and what he had heard - they were a weight on his mind he couldn't lift. He was, _once again_ , **helpless** , as Tecteun continued.

"You are my biological son. Look at me. **Really** , _look_ at me. Parent and child. There's a connection. _Search_ for it. Those memories I showed you - search for _them_. They're not gone from you. They're just **hidden**."

"Stop it."

"No. This is a part of you."

" _I don't want it_." He hissed, stepping close, his hearts pounding almost - out of control. "You are a **monster**. You are **dirt**. You are a child torturer and a _murderer._ I _**had**_ a mother, a father, and they are _gone_. I had a **life**. A fucking _awful_ one. I was **used** to the advantage of the Time Lords; the people **_YOU_** created. I was driven _insane_ , I was **_tortured_** and I was _murdered_ and then **blamed** for it all. I have been **alone**. _Desperate_ to find some kind of sanity, some kind of _thing_ to hold onto and the _only --_ the _**ONLY**_ thing that I've managed to do is harass and hurt the **one** person I've ever had a connection to. The only person who has an _inkling_ of how I feel, who could come _**CLOSE**_ to understanding me. So no. You don't **GET** to come into my life and tell me this. You don't **_get_** to save me from my suicide mission and fill me with lies. You don't _**get**_ to do this, Tecteun. Because you are _nothing_ but a bad memory, that has _**N** **OTHING**_ left to show for the life you have lived."

He approached more, unable to stop pushing. Unable to stop his anger, the force of it _shoving_ her out of control of their surroundings. Slowly, a crimson colour surrounded them.

"You want to dig into my head? You want me to search for memories? _**Fine**_. Let me share the memories of your people **burning.** Let me show you that. And leave room for dessert, because I have a whole **bank** of horror stories I have just been _itching_ to share."

"Koschei-"

 _She stumbled to the ground._ The change in power dynamic was **instantaneous**.

"My **name--** is **The Master**." He sneered, approaching her as the images flickered around them, keeping a firm grasp on their connection; latching her _inside_ of his mind as he flooded her with the images of blood, of fire, of _ash_ and of _pain_.

"It's time for you to get that through your **THICK** skull; you're going to need to _use_ it. Because I'm not stopping. Oh, no. _I'm not_."

He bent down, now able to touch her. Now able to grab a **HANDFUL** of her hair.

"You're going to experience every single **_horrible_** thing that I have, Tecteun. Every. Single. **Thing**. And you're going to **beg** me. You're going to _beg_ me to stop. And you know **what**? I'm going to enjoy every, **_single_** , second of it."


	4. Chapter 4

The problem with forcing his experiences down Tecteun's throat... was that he had to experience them too. He had said before, he knew his life. He knew every single horrific thing that had happened to him. Those memories tended to crawl their way up to his conscious mind at very unpredictable times. When he tried to sleep, or when he was half way through creating one of his _incredible, diabolical plans_. Or even while he was facing The Doctor, but that was mostly shoved down instantaneously, replaced with the anger that arose from those memories instead. All the more reason to hate The Doctor.

Hate. As though their relationship was that _simple_.

This time though? He let them all come through. Starting with Gallifrey. 

Gallifrey had been difficult to destroy. It had taken days. Perhaps even weeks. He wasn't sure. At the time, he had been driven by an anger so blinding, that it was **difficult** to recall most of it. He had started with the outskirts. Petty people, that no one cared about. Slowly but surely, he eradicated villages, scaring the Lords of Time into taking action. Collecting all of them together and _oh_ \- was that exactly what he had been hoping for. 

A singular room, full of villagers. Peasants. It was a **bloodbath**.

" _Stop._ "

Already? So soon? Blood stained the floor; tinged orange. He stepped in puddles of the stuff, the thickness clinging to both shoe and ground alike, leaving little stringy trails of where he had been. The men, the women, the children. All of them. He pumped his _hatred_ into her; his **pain** , as he forced her to witness every. single. face; the light that drained from the innocent eyes. All of her work; eradicated. And he worked his way up the higher ranks; the nobles. The lords. The owners of the land, the ones who had **power** within the Capitol; the Citadel. And soon, it was the High Council. Those very same people who had ordered his life to ruins, now being _tortured_ to death by the one person they had **always** taken advantage of.

"They deserved it." The Master's voice ripped through the scene. He was on his knees, next to Tecteun, who was helpless; knees digging into the ground as strands of hair were ripped from her head. They were still in his mind. He was still keeping her there. But that did not mean she could not experience **_pain_**.

"And I'll show you. I'll show you why. Shall we?"

A wave of his hand, and he changed the scene. The power dynamic _shifted_ suddenly, and the very same person he had just been **murdering** , was standing by. Instructing the _torture_ of yours truly. The Master hissed; the faint reminder of the pain running through his body like a flash of lightning; but he smiled. Smiled in the comfort of the image that he had just witnessed. _Ripping off his head_. And smiled, most of all, at Tecteun's face, still **distorted** in pain, in sorrow. Still experiencing _every last sensation_ of _everything_ that she had just seen.

"Your legacy." He bit into her ear, leaning in and tightening his grip. "What should I show you next? How about my last regeneration, hm?" 

The events between Missy, and himself. Missy, lying **dead** on the ground, having just been **_shot_** by her past self. A sudden teleport, being sucked back into the mess of Gallifrey. An order on The Master to carry out the life sentence that she had been given before The Doctor had snatched her up, and from then on? Regenerations. An extra _twelve_ , pumped into her. 

That twelve was intended to last all of twelve hours.

The Time Lords despised The Master. Blamed him for escaping the clutches of Rassilion after he had saved The Doctor and pushed them back into the Time Lock - when he had disappeared with them. They had felt as though the punishment had not finished. And so, commenced twelve hours of endless pain. They were ruthless. A regeneration every hour, until a final death at the very end. That was the plan, at least.

The Master escaped. He always did. He didn't show this to her, but the part after escaping? Was him digging through the Matrix, figuring that there was something there; something he could _use_. He was on Gallifrey, why not play about with it? He discovered the Timeless Child, escaped with a discarded TARDIS, only to return later to _destroy_ the planet they had grew up on.

But that was irrelevant.

History.

He was concentrating on the punishments, and every _regeneration_ pushed a new feeling of heat through Tecteun. An uncomfortable, _harsh_ pain. Not unlike the pain she herself had inflicted on a **child** , oh so very long ago. 

" _Stop it."_

"Really?" The Master tilted his head. "This is barely a _fraction_ of what's happened to me." He pondered, and then let her go, sliding into place before her, taking her face with harsh, **painful** grip; nails digging into her _frail skin_. "I'm going to give you a **gift**. A gift that has _plagued_ me all of my lives." 

Can you guess what it is, reader?

_A loud, rhythmic **knock**._

**_A Time Lord's heartbeat._ **

The thing that was originally a **link** , between the planet of Gallifrey _within_ the Time Lock, and The Master _outside_ of it. The thing that had almost returned them to power. The very same thing that had driven **him** _to insanity_. He pushed it into her head; and it overcame her. A fast pace; one that even he could barely stand to listen to.

And then he pulled out. Shoved her into reality. Shoving them both back into the real world.

-

Distorted visions danced before his gaze, and for the second time, he woke up to the brightness of the room. The artificial light in here was _headache_ inducing. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but as soon as he did, he pushed himself up, whipping himself around to look for Tecteun. 

He was alone. 

He stalked over to the door, giving it a **YANK**. It did not budge.

The computer. Locked out and deadlocked.

Controls? Nothing worked.

He yelled, slamming his hands quickly into the very same wall that he had shoved Tecteun into, some time before. He was trapped.

The coward had left him in here, alone. To - what? Run off? Hide? Like the **bitch** that she was?

"Koschei."

He froze at the voice. He shifted, his gaze scanning the room quickly, despite the fact that it had _clearly_ come over a kind of speaker. Allowing his hands to slip to his sides, he turned, pressing his back to the wall as he simply _crossed_ his arms. 

His appearance didn't scream anger. It screamed casual. But that did not mean there wasn't a lot of emotions being dragged through his mind. Being called _Koschei_ was just nails on a chalkboard. 

It was a name he had long since left behind.

"I have told you all that I needed to. The only thing that's stopping me from letting you go, now, is your acceptance. You need to know that all I have told you, is the truth. **You are my son**."

"And you are a coward." He growled. Placing himself in the middle of the room, he stretched his arms out, rolling his neck back with a small, grin on the face. "A coward that won't come out to face me. Oh, the _great_ Tecteun. Scared off by a few _memories_." A snicker; a laugh. And then a silence; his face suddenly _immediately_ serious. "How are the drums, can I ask? Are they driving you insane yet? It shouldn't take them long. I imagine there's not much to you left. What with you being an old wench and all."

There was a silence. And then--

The door suddenly opened, revealing a Tecteun. Not as neat as before, but certainly not as flustered as the Master had hoped. He dropped his hands to his sides, and just looked at her; a helplessness rushing through his body. No, actually. Not helplessness. _Exhaustion_.

"Are we really going for round two?" He asked, offhandedly. "Because- hear me out. In **all** seriousness. I just don't think you can handle it." He moved his body, a hand going up and down the woman with a look that said: _really?_ _just look at you._

Tecteun cocked her head forward, and despite the situation that they were in, and the situation that had just occurred, she smiled. A sly, small smile, that practically changed the appearance of her entire face.

A smile that caused The Master's arm to drop to his side. He was still coming down from what had just happened; the disorientation and the memories and the pain still working their way through him, not to mention the _echoed drum beat_ that had always been sizzling below the surface. But now he was curious. Curious, because Tecteun didn't say a word. 

She simply walked towards him.

Holding a finger up, he backed off, keeping the space between them the same.

"Come closer, Tecteun-" He forced his hand down, eyes suddenly hard; a fire burning in them. "-and I will _rip_ your head off."

There's a stop. A hesitation. And then, Tecteun rose her hands, palms facing towards him. An act universally known as _surrender_ \- **i mean no harm**.

And another step towards The Master.

He gritted his teeth, and closed the distance himself, grabbing hold of her collar and shoving his face in hers, even unsure of his own ability to keep his temper _to himself_. "I _warned_ you."

And then she did something entirely unexpected.

In a broken voice.

"Koschei. You didn't deserve any of that. **I'm sorry**."


	5. Chapter 5

Tecteun was on the ground. Tecteun had a bloody nose. The Master was very proud of himself.

"Where was this **_compassion_** when you tortured your daughter?" His bitter voice broke the silence, that before, had only been filled by Tecteun's uneven breathing. "Where was this _compassion_ when you created the worst **_fucking_** race to ever walk the stars? OH- oh. Hang on. I forgot. You're **_incapable_** of it. Even now."

It was Tecteun's turn to dart up, and **_shove_** the Master backwards, which caused the Time Lord to stumble, arms moving to keep himself steady. And it had shocked him. Shocked him into stillness for a second. He stared at her, as that very familiar rage now sparked in _her_ eyes.

Okay. He wasn't going to lie.

That scared him.

Not her actions. Not even her appearance - she was an old lady with a bloody nose - what could she do?

No. That look. Those eyes. That was what frightened him.

There was a pang in his hearts. ~~**_Familiarity_**~~.

She approached, and as if by instinct, he backed away. All the way until the white wall had met his back, and she was standing _right before him_.

"Listen to me."

Tecteun's voice was low. A growl. An impatience. 

"What the Time Lords did to you, that was the result of _my_ actions. I had **no idea** that they were going to use you like that. All I have ever done, Koschei, I have done for **you** ; for the betterment of your life. I truly believed that growing up with Theta-" A wince from The Master, "-and staying with them, would bring your life purpose and meaning. Because you were right. They are the only one that can connect to you; that could ever possibly understand what you've been through. And vice versa. What she has gone through, what she now knows, is remarkably similar to what _you_ have experienced. But - I can see now, that that relationship has **disintegrated** , and I can only _apologise_ for that." 

There's a pause; a sharp intake of breath.

"Regardless of all of that though, you **need** to understand; you **need** to believe me when I tell you this. That little boy; the one that you saw grow up. That was you. And that girl that he regenerated into. That girl went on to live a glorious life. A beautiful one. Blame me, Master, all you want for what you have been put through. But accept the truth. And search for your memories, because they are in there, and above all - you _deserve_ to know who you are."

There was a silence.

This time, he felt suffocated. The information that he had discovered since this interaction first began was still nudging into his mind; still being processed. Because he truly did not want to believe in it. Tecteun being his mother, that was a nightmare on top of nightmares. It meant that his pain had been- had just been _unnecessary_. That he had truly never **had** to have gone through all of it. If she had allowed him his death, if she had allowed him his freedom, rather than _keeping_ him with The Doctor, all of this time...?

The images and scenes he had shown Tecteun hadn't even been a fraction of what he had been through, and they were still whirling around his mind, taunting him, pulling him down into the madness and anguish he was all too familiar with. So it took a lot, for him to respond. It took a lot for him to break out of that mental barrier, and allow the harsh, painful words to escape from him.

"I deserve nothing **more** , Tecteun-"

He took a sharp breath. His tone was more... _desperate_ than it had been up until now.

"-than to _**die**_. Like I was _destined_ to, all that time ago."

A beat.

"There's a reason -- _a reason_ that a majority of my plans to tear The Doctor down result in my death. I've been **chaotic**. Because you have given me an _empty_ life, full of _memories_ of _pain_. I live as a _shell_ of a being, seeking the one thing I can never have. **Her**."

He stepped forward. He did not touch her, but she moved back to allow him the room to move. Because now he was hurting. The Master was hurting and his flood gates were wide open; the excruciating reality of his existence dawning on him in a way that it had **never** done before.

"A connection you started. A connection _you_ forged and maintained. We are who we are _because_ of you. And I cannot _express_ how much that angers me to my **core**. How much that _disgusts_ me. Because **you** have given me a life, _**mother**_ _,_ with no love. No _hope_ to love. No _hope_ to forge connections, no _reason_ for being but to go after the one person i _**ADORE**_ with all my hearts and it _**HURTS**_ _._

It's the pain and loss in my hearts that I experience _every fucking waking hour of my life_.

It's a fire that can _never_ be put out because what I _need_ is **_out of my reach,_** and she will _always_ be out of my reach because-

she is so much _**MORE**_ than me.

You created us. **_You_**. And _that_ is going to be the reason for your downfall. It's going to end, the way it started."

A **HARD** shove.

"The three of us. You teleported me here. Bring _her_ here." He demanded, giving an absent shrug. "Go ahead. Let her join the party. Let's **see** what she has to say, because I assure you - my rage will _pale_ in comparison to **hers**.

...Or are you too much of a **COWARD**?"

A silence dawned on them. Tecteun breathed, carefully, her chest rising up and down, recomposing herself after the unsurprising show of physical violence. But it didn't seem to help. The drums whirled around her mind and she coughed; a harsh, gasping coughs. There was a dizziness behind her gaze and---- something was wrong. She moved, doubling over as she returned to the desk, sliding back into her seat.

"I can't bring her here. She's been taken by the Judoon."

The Master couldn't care less that she was struggling. In fact, it brought up a happiness in him that he couldn't describe. But her next words brought him to a stop. His stomach turned, and he approached her, a sudden determined pace in his step.

" _Where is she_?"

A delay. Her eyes shifted from the computer and towards him. "She's on Recon Six." The answer came, and it was The Master's turn to feel that dizziness cloud his mind.

"Get her out of there."

His voice was low. Dangerous.

"The energy was spent-"

"Scooping me _out_ of a pocket universe just in time for our home planet to be **annihilated**. You can get her out of a simple _fucking_ prison." He snapped, and for a second, their eyes met, a confusion in the air between them that only The Master understood. Because suddenly, he was desperate. 

He had experiences on Recon Six. 

And while he would put The Doctor through the worst of things, he would never stand by when it came to that.

Not that. **Never** that.

"What _happened_ to you there, Koschei?"


	6. Chapter 6

Cold. It was cold.

All she had was a small, ripped blanket, and the clothes she had came with.

She had lost track of days; never really having been good at keeping an interior log of them anyway. It was even harder when the only source of time passing was a small window into space.

The stars had once been her hope; her freedom. Now? It was just a taunt. Something she loved, something she craved, being dangled in front of her. Always out of reach.

The prison door slammed open. And big shadow _loomed_ over her.

-

"You can't pull her out? Then take me there." He demanded, not even wincing at the cold, saddened look that floated in Tecteun's gaze. He didn't even have to wait for an answer to know that it would be **_no_**. Gritting his teeth, he moved around the desk, shoving her chair out of the way as he himself began to look on the computer; trying to figure out the ancient Gallifreyan writing that spread over the screen.

"Koschei-"

"I told you, that is **NOT** my name." He snapped; something inside of him wondering why he just hadn't killed her yet. Perhaps it was because The Doctor had just as much of a right to be a part of her death as he did. And while he _very much doubted_ his old friend would just stand there and do nothing while he ended the life of Tecteun, there was something in him that knew that she had just as much of a right as he had - to communicate with her. To talk to her. To experience this rambling _bitch_ of a woman before she was taken from the universe and their lives.

The Master was never this considerate. And never this - - _determined_ to help The Doctor.

_He knew what happened on Recon Six._

-

It had been at least a month, maybe two.

Her wrists were indented with rope marks; where they had dug harshly into her skin. Scratches and scars were formed on her arms; even the fast healing of her Gallifreyan heritage had not wiped them away. Finger nail markings dug into her sides, there were scars on her stomach where a knife had _sliced_ her flesh apart. Old blood stains tangled in her clothing; in her hair, and on almost _every_ inch of her skin. 

Lower... it was worse.

Her clothing was torn, leaving her with next to no amount of privacy. Looking between that fabric, there were bruises; her pale skin amplifying the severity of them. Black, blue, tinged purple splotches on her skin. 

It hurt all over.

In places she hadn't even known existed.

 ~~She had never been a woman before~~.

Most of all, it was her throat. Even now, she still felt fingers gripping around it; suffocating her. The sobs that escaped from her were broken; causing a **frustration** to rise up within her, floating at the top of her stomach. Because she couldn't - _talk_. She couldn't **scream**. She couldn't let out the anguish that plagued her; it just sat. Stirred within her.

Red hot tears burned her cheeks.

She was ~~helpless~~.

-

"Where are we?" He demanded, rounding on Tecteun with a fire that - strangely enough - hadn't been seen up until now. Tecteun had one hand gripping the table, the other pressing onto her chest, and she **hesitated**.

"...Orphan Seventy Nine." She allowed, her voice relaxing as her eyes fell shut.

"An _Orphan_ planet?" 

"The surface is too toxic for any kind of life to exist, yes." Tecteun stood, moving around the desk, and The Master couldn't help but assume it was to get an object in between the two of them. He subconsciously braced for what the woman may say next, knowing that the likelihood of it being _good_ was low. ...He was right. "It's assumed that even beneath the surface, it's impossible to sustain life. But they somehow missed this place when they scanned the planet, giving it a false classification. This... is a civilisation. More specifically, an orphanage. A school."

" _...You're around children?_ " The Master's words dropped out of his mouth, an astonished element to it.

"I'm not the same as I was."

"You're around children." Disbelief. **Horror**. The Master now understood why she put the table between the two of them. A silence hung in the air around them, and for a long moment, the Time Lord processed that. Now, he wasn't a big fan of children. He didn't interact with them, he didn't involve them - because it reminded him too much of his own childhood. But; there were things he didn't touch. Things that not even he would stoop down to. A child torture and a murderer - being around children who likely had **no idea** who she was?

It made him sick to his stomach.

"If you're looking for a way off this planet-" She began, motioning to the desk between them. "This can transport you to the closest point of civilisation. If you _wait_ , it will obtain enough power to take you wherever you want to be. But that could take days. Weeks."

There was a beat.

An idea was forming in his mind.

"What kind of civilisation are we talking about? Do they have ships? Transport?"

"...Not yet."

"Then I'll wait." He muttered; reluctantly. His gaze shifted back towards the computer. The idea of waiting days - weeks - for this stupid thing to regain it's charge was _torture_ , especially if he had to be around **HER**. But, he could _not_ leave The Doctor in Recon Six.

No. He wouldn't.

He would never.

-

It involved a lot of patience, but The Master was good at that. Undercover work. Harold Saxon. O. He was used to it. The amount of time it took to get what he needed; he would wait a _long_ time for something if it meant he had an advantage. He refused to really communicate with Tecteun more than just a simple daily update; not wanting to look her in the eyes. Not wanting to face her. ~~A mother~~. **His mother**.

He **hated** her.

And he could not wait to **destroy** her.

Eventually, the system gained enough power to take him to where he wanted to go. To the place The Doctor had dumped that TARDIS she had escaped Gallifrey in. The same place where her and her friends had the standoff with the Cybermen, and what they had considered to be the last of humanity.

He moved to this TARDIS, only to come to a harsh stop. A sound; a very familiar sound, that jolted his attention **up**.

He turned on his spot. Tecteun stood there.

She had followed him through. Her gaze more determined than ever.

-

She sat cross legged on the bed, head tilted. Her fingers plaited her hair, moving fast; her entire mind seemingly on the task. But in reality, she was thinking about everything. The Timeless Child, what she had seen in the Matrix. The Division. The gaps in her memory that was just as frustrating as the boring prison cell that she was being kept in. There was nothing. _Nothing!_ No stimulation for her busy mind. No one to talk to - well, except for herself. She _had_ been having some very deep conversations with herself about the best kind of biscuits. But still! It was frustrating! There was no room to really walk around - or to run around. She was getting _restless_. Very restless. The Doctor was not **used** to anything like this.

She wasn't used to sitting still.

She wasn't used to going through time the _slow_ way.

**_She had only been there for a day!_ **

It was driving her crazy!

And man, did she just want to see her friends; her fam! Make sure that they had gotten to the 21st Century safely. Let them know that she had managed to escape. _And_ \- she wanted to be in her TARDIS. She missed her old friend; her old girl. She wanted some control in her life and these four brick walls had not provided that to her.

A frustrated sound escape from her, and she pushed herself up, pacing irritably as words fell out of her mouth; random ones; unimportant ones as she had yet another conversation with herself. She needed to find a way out of here, **pronto**. She was going stir crazy. She had no idea how River had managed to survive in the Stormcage if it was anything like this.

Then again, River Song had had a habit of escaping. And she knew she had a good relationship with those guards. 

Her?

Not so much.

They seemed brittle. Harsh. Every second that they had stepped into sight behind that door was a moment her hearts went crazy, and she wasn't sure **why**. They just had a _feel_ about them. An uncomfortable one; an uncertain one. 

The door rattled, and she practically jumped half a mile as it opened. She swung around to look at the guard, a smile spreading across her face.

"Finally! Someone else t'talk to. You know, I was wanting to ask someone's opinions about bourbons. They're chocolate, but they're biscuits, y'see. They have this cream in the middle tha-"

_"Shut. Up."_

"..Well, that's not very nice. Didn't your mother ever teach you some manners?" A frown appeared on her face, as the guard approached; taking careful, purposeful steps forward. With a tilt of her head, the plaits fell out of her hair. "You've got that intimidating thing down, haven't ya? Impressive, if I do say so myself. Anyway, I had a **question**. I'm entitled to a phone call, I know that for a fac--"

But she was slapped.

Slapped hard.

She only just managed to catch herself on the cold, damp ground. 

The Doctor's breath was forced out of her, and she stayed there, **shocked.** It took her a moment to pull herself back together. Jumping back into action, she moved to look up at the guard, that already had a _sadistic_ smile on his face. A grin that sent chills down her spine. With a shaken breath, she scrambled backwards, only just barely managing to get herself to her feet before--

Yet another unexpected thing happened.

There was a loud noise, and the guard **fell** to the ground, stopping just _inches_ away from her position. Fingers inching over the cold wall for support, her gaze widened as it fell on the person who was standing just in the doorway to her cell. The one person that, she had not expected to see for a very, **very** , long time.

The Master.

And then a woman, who practically shoved her hand into the back of the man in order to grab his attention. The Master hissed; clearly **irritated** by the action as he pushed his arm back, placing space between Tecteun and himself. And then, he lowered the blaster, taking steps into her cell, raising his hand.

"Come on. Before more of them come." He gave her a small look. "Believe me. You don't want to stay here."

With only a side eye to the bed The Doctor had been sat on minutes before - he remembered. _His first time being a woman_. The _horrors_ he had been put through. **The** **hands around his throat**.

" **Now** , Doctor." 

Because he would _never_ leave her to this place.

Not after his own experience here.

Never.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor could be oblivious sometimes. Beautifully oblivious. 

"You had _no right_ to do that!" 

She had gotten right into his face, an anger starting in her gaze that The Master was very familiar with.

"What _is_ it with you, eh?! Always killin', always _hurtin'_ people. Why are you here, Master, really?" She flung her arms out to her sides, as if to challenge him. "Did you not have enough of my company on Gallifrey? Decided to _break me out of prison_ to continue playtime?"

"We don't have long." Came a voice from behind him, at the door.

Irritation boiled in his blood; between The Doctor being - well, an ignorant _shit_ , and Tecteun, his insistent, **monster** of a mother, he barely had time to even open his mouth before the woman before him continued; accusation hot in her voice.

"And who's that? Another _ally_? Someone else that you make **bow** to you and your every sadistic whim?" 

**Enough**.

He slid forward, and grabbed The Doctor's wrist, eyes burying deep into hers. And for a moment she stopped; an expression on her face turning from her initial shock, to a _disgusting_ curiosity.

"Doctor." He said, firmly. " _That_ \- is **Tecteun**."

There was a stillness between them; one that stretched out as The Doctor took in this new piece of information with wide eyes. Glancing between the woman at the door, and her best enemy before her, it took her a moment for her come up with something to say; to form a voice around it. But before she could get any word out, The Master _continued_.

"I can explain everything. But we need to leave. For once in your life, **trust me**." He tightened his grip, moving closer, and The Doctor saw something in his gaze that she hadn't seen for a very, _very_ long time. _Desperation_. A **silent plea**.

And she was speechless.

" _Master_." Tecteun's voice was somehow _more_ insistent than before.

**"Doctor."** The Master didn't relent his gaze, searching for approval. Searching for a sign that she would listen. And eventually he got what he was looking for. An absent nod of her head. Taking that, he let go of her, moving back to Tecteun and finally looking down the corridor in the direction that she was looking.

It was a long one, filled to the brim with cells, and at the very end of it was a door, deadlock sealed by The Master and Tecteun the moment they had entered the place. There were noises on the other side of it. Those trying to _break_ in. There was a breath, and a relaxation of The Master's shoulders, before he whipped around, and lead the way down the other end of the corridor. 

_An unlikely trio_.

There was a side glance to Tecteun from The Doctor, but she kept quiet. They all did. There was a silent understanding between them; talking came **after** escaping, despite The Doctor not really knowing what she was escaping _from_ \- nor what she was walking into with the two of perhaps the worst people in her life. But - she had seen the look in The Master's eyes. A look that spoke to her on a deeper level, and she didn't know what it meant. Not really, _not truly_. She just knew that - when he looked at her like that?

She couldn't deny him.

"I'm guessin' you know your way out of here?" She perked up, rushing to walk by The Master, side by side. She was uncomfortable not being able to take the lead, especially when it came to him.

"Shut up." The Master spat, and she was about to protest, but a hand moved over her, as if to protect her. They had just reached the other end of the corridor, which had a similar door to the one they had been walking away from. This one had the same banging, the same noise behind it. With a fast glance around, he grabbed The Doctor's wrist and pulled her after him, with an open protest from the energetic sunflower.

" _Getoff_ \--"

" ** _Shhh_**." He snapped his head back, coming to a stop as he once again, met her gaze. "Do as I say. Move when I move-- both of you." His eyes shifted to Tecteun, who was standing behind The Doctor. " **Getting in** was easy. Getting **out** is harder. It's more important than ever that you keep your issues with me to yourselves, otherwise this rescue mission? Will turn into an accommodation _induction_." He narrowed his gaze at Tecteun, and cocked his head. "I warned you." 

And with that, he pushed his way through the wall. That's right. The wall. It was a transport, short range, that took them to a different part of the prison. It was usually only known by the guards, the wardens, and those of authority, but The Master had spent a long time in this place himself. He had watched. He had waited. He could even count down the timings of certain guard shifts. And while it had changed since he had been here - _it hadn't changed that much_.

"How did you know that was there?" Hissed The Doctor in his ear, only to practically be swatted off, as he lead them down the very different looking passageway. This one was designed, not like a spaceship - like the other part of the prison they had come from had been - but like an olden day, human dungeon. It felt like it was underground. Damp. Closed in, with real flames dangling from the walls as a source of light. It was jarring, even to The Master, who knew all of this **very** well.

It kept going like that. Walls. Different areas; different designs. The Doctor was reluctant to shut up, but she finally did. Eventually, they ended up on the outside; the sudden _whisk_ of wind startling both The Doctor and Tecteun. A beach. Waves flowed close to where they stood, and it was at this point that The Master breathed a sigh of what seemed like _relief._ He shot a glance to the two beings next to him, and he paused. That was a delayed reaction, he had to say.

Seeing The Doctor and Tecteun, both together, both next to each other, after all this time.

That really **fucked** with his senses.

"Just this way." He allowed the words to escape him, and he marched along the beach. One final doorway, this time, a big one, that stretched the entirety of the beach. One moment they were on hot summer sand, and the next, grass surrounded them, the TARDIS they had arrived in standing tall as a ... tree.

So unimaginative. 

"Is that--"

"Less talk, more escaping." The Master closed in on The Doctor, giving her a small, manic grin, before hopping forward and entering the ship. He had fiddled around with the desktop; because of course, _he had enough time to do that_. He personally couldn't stand the original. But he kept it simple. No one needed as many rooms as The Doctor, after all. It was a glowing dark purple, with orange shifting through - not dots - but cracks, that made their way up to the top of the console.

Once they were all inside, The Master began to fiddle with the controls; blasting them off into space, and away - **_far away_** \- from Recon Six.

There was an awkward silence in the console room. Three characters who perhaps - despised each other. The Doctor was certainly not at home with her comfort level. The Master? Somehow, he had managed to fall into the uncomfortable middle ground between his mother and his friend - because Tecteun was the one person that The Doctor had kept her distance from. Was it out of fear, or memory? He didn't know. He liked to think it was because if she didn't, the anger would take over. And that was something that she tended to try her best to not give people the sanctification of seeing.

"I'm taking you home." The Master broke the silence, eyeing Tecteun as he shifted around the console. He motioned for her input. "Co-ordinates, if you will. We can talk there."

"I'd actually like answers now, if y'don't mind."

Tecteun and The Master turned their heads at The Doctor's words, a stop; an awkward pause settling between them.

"Like how you managed to find _her-_ " A finger flung in Tecteun's direction. "-and why _exactly_ you were workin' together to get **me** out of prison. Let's start with those two questions, shall we?" 

And there it was. The impatient look burning in her eyes, one that screamed that if she didn't get her answers, she would start _mouthing off_ \- demanding them from her unwilling company.

The Master turned his head to look at Tecteun, and in seeing her hesitation, he frowned. There's a long pause, and then he looked back towards The Doctor, shifting and pressing a hand to Tecteun's shoulder, guiding her towards the TARDIS console. "Hurry up." He muttered, bitterly to her, before turning his attention on The Doctor. He approached, pressing his hands together as he considered his next words.

"She saved me from Gallifrey, because she wanted to talk to me." He gave a short, dirty look at the woman who was now piloting the TARDIS. "We're working together because she didn't give me a _choice_ ; she just followed me to this TARDIS and got on board. I had no say in the matter, unfortunately, but in my defence -- I assumed that if anyone was going to ignore me, it was her. And if there was a tragedy with her in Recon Six, I wouldn't _exactly_ have lost any sleep over it."

A casual **shrug**.

A silence.

"Fine. But y'still haven't answered m'question." She approached, a daring look making The Master almost _step back_ \- wanting to **MOCK** the way she thought she could scare him.

But he resisted.

This was not the time to _take the piss_ out of The Doctor. 

" _Why_ do you care that I was in prison? Why save me? And what did she _**tell**_ you? I knew you were _insane_ , but I would have thought that after _everythin_ ', **everythin' she did to me** and all that she _caused_ by creating the time lords, **you of all people** would have sooner killed her than work with her."

"I wanted to." He snapped, and that caused a small glance over from Tecteun by the console. But the woman had the good sense to stay out of this. He forced a calming breath through him, and after regaining composure from that little snap, he continued. "And I cared, Doctor, because that prison is not what you think it is. You're lucky. You did not experience _any_ of their punishments."

He had seen to that.

"I wouldn't leave you in there. I'd _never_ leave you in there."

_You mean too much to me for that._

"Why? What's wrong with that place? Thought you would have _relished_ in the idea that-"

"Do you not **_realise_** what that guard was about to **do** to you?" 

And there it was. A break in his facade, the amount of _worry_ he had experienced over the last **MONTH** of living with the **bitch** of his mother... It teared out of him in a wave he _could not_ control. He charged forward, and grabbed her arms, pulling her close as words _tumbled_ from his mouth, **uncontrollably**. 

"You like to be so _innocent_. You can imagine murder, torture, you've been through that all before. But you don't know how **this** feels, Doctor; it hasn't _happened_ to you yet. Never in your known life have you been a _**woman**_ _._ You are so-- **oblivious** to the dangers of that simple fact. He was **going to rape you**. Y'hear that? Do you want me to say it **louder** for you? They were going **rape you** , Doctor. They were going to **break** you in a way you have **never** experienced. I couldn't let that happen to you. Because despite _everything_ that has happened between us, the one thing, the one _line_ I will **never** cross - is that."

A strand of hair settled like a curtain between The Doctor's face, and The Masters. There was a shock in her gaze; because she had never seen The Master like this. So angry but yet - not at her. So insistent, so protective. She was taken aback by just how _unusual_ this was, as well as - the information he had just provided her with. Because no, she had not thought of that. That thought had never crossed her mind, but now that she knew, it made perfect sense. That look in the guard's eyes. The way he spoke, the way he had slapped her and _put her down_ a peg.

A lump rose in her throat, and she shook her head a little, swallowing as the grip the Master had on her diminished. 

"I... I'm sorry." She breathed; because there was more than that. Not only had he saved her from _that_ , but - the way he had spoke, there was something more to it. She liked to think she knew The Master, and honestly? From what she knew? He never had that much of an emotional reaction about something that he _hadn't_ had experience with in the past.

She didn't want to assume. But she couldn't help the thoughts as they floated around her mind.

The Master cleared his throat. And wiping any anguish off his face, he rose his eyebrows, returning to his previous demeanour with a _deep_ breath, his hands pressing once again, into each other.

"What was your other question?"


	8. Chapter 8

It was whirling around her head; what he had said. The reality that he had to **spell** **out for her**. Stupid, _stupid_ , Doctor! She knew it existed; she knew that it happened - and it was _terrible._ It was an experience that **no one** should have had to go through; whether it be man, woman, or child. Alien or human. Villain or hero. And it made her feel sick to the stomach; how she had not _realised_ \- how it had not _dawned_ on her. It ruined people's lives! How could she have been so **_NAIVE?_**

And he had saved her! Him! The Master, the one person who would have wanted nothing more than for her to _destroy_ **everything** in their last encounter. The person who would _relish_ the idea of The Doctor being ripped down to his level. She liked to think she **UNDERSTOOD** The Master - for the most part. His ambitions, his goals - they had, after all - always been the same. Whether it be world domination or destruction, the idea behind his actions had always been **never changing**. Her. Her attention. Her drive to stop him. Her _destruction_ , if it came to it.

This countered all of that. And she could think of a reason for it; the sudden need to **PROTECT** her - the thing that had driven him to work with Tecteun, of all people. She could assume; she could ponder, but even if she was right, she wouldn't know how approach it with him. She had been oblivious to it when it was staring right in her face, and The Master? Well. He wasn't exactly one to cry into her arms and reveal his deepest and darkest secrets, now, was he?

The lump was still in her throat, and the silence of the TARDIS was getting to her. The only sounds were the low living rumble of the engine, Tecteun's flickers of the switches, and her own breathing. The Master was just... waiting. Watching her. Under normal circumstances, she would take that as a pressure, but the look in his eyes - he was being patient. Letting her process what he had just said; letting her _think_.

She swallowed awkwardly, backing up just a little; withdrawing, her eyes finally scanning the foreign TARDIS. She remembered the last time she was in here; flying away from Gallifrey, alone. It was the same one she had taken to escape, she could tell. But he had done something with it. Or Tecteun had. Changed the background. Focusing on the cracks; the ripples that moved over the dark purple background, she took a careful breath. She had to chose her next words carefully, because there was a story here, between Tecteun and The Master. And there were answers to be found.

"Tecteun." She spoke, and there was a breathless moment where her eyes found the woman, who had been busying herself at the console. The name drove an emotion into her hearts like no other. There was a moment, and she found it difficult to say the next bit; the amount of possibilities running around her mind clouding her words.

Her eyes fixed back on The Master.

"What did she tell you?"

A silence.

"She told me that I was her son."

...Out of everything he could have said, that was perhaps the thing she had least expected.

And she wanted to say he was lying; but nothing about that look told her he was.

She was suddenly dizzy; a push of adrenaline moving throughout her as her blood ran _cold_. Because that couldn't be possible; it _couldn't_ be. She grew up with him; in **this** life. In the life that she was living now. She saw him; she ran in the fields with him and she _remembered_ the times that they had together. Hearts skipping beats; she felt a pounding in her head; a confusion suddenly _rising_ up in a way that completely _mystified_ her vision.

"Doctor-"

Suddenly, he was in front of her; and it brought her out of her panicked state. She looked at him, and she took her first breath in what seemed like **forever**. 

There was disbelief, and she staggered back, rising a hand to The Master to _indicate_ that she needed space. The Master simply rose his hands, and gave her exactly what she needed.

Breathing. Yes. Right. Of course. Breathing was a good idea. That helped her mind. That eased her hearts. 

Another swallow.

"Do you _believe_ her?" 

The question escaped from her before she was ready to ask it. But now that she had, now that the words had dropped from her lips, her breath **caught** again. Her eyes just _dug_ their way into The Master, _waiting_. Hanging on his every expression; waiting on his every **word**.

"She showed me." He spoke, quietly.

"...Doctor." 

The unwelcome voice rattled her, and her eyes darted up; moving immediately to Tecteun, who had moved around the console to their side. And there it was - suddenly - an anger bubbling from deep within her. It had been less than a day since Gallifrey for her - she had barely had time to process what The Master had shown her in the first place. But now? Looking into the eyes of the woman who had used, _abused_ , and **killed** a child that had been lost and abandoned? A child that had relied on her, who had looked up to her? 

And now, the mother of the person who she had _thought_ she had known?

She closed her mouth; pressing her lips together; gritting her teeth, and she **charged** forward, coming to a stand still just in front of Tecteun.

Because now, she had not only destroyed _her_ life, but she had hurt her **friend**. And as _different_ as they were, The Master and The Doctor; Koschei and Theta - there was something _personal_ about that.

"Say one word to me." The Doctor spoke; a warning; a threat, deep in her voice - despite how _quiet_ she spoke. "...Go on. I dare you."

Another silence. Tecteun and The Doctor stood there, _staring_ at each other. And the tense moment was only broken by a huff; an intake of breath, and a clap of some hands. As much as The Master was enjoying this, he considered this TARDIS to be his _new home_ \- since his old one had been destroyed in the same moment as Gallifrey. He hopped forward; raising his hands up as he glanced in between the two.

" _Sorry_ to bother you; believe me - I get your anger." He directed his hands towards The Doctor, and nodded, stealing a glance to Tecteun. "But let's move this outside. Shall we? There's something else you need to know. More to the story, as it were."

And for once, The Master wasn't irritating The Doctor. In fact, he was helping her. She had been stuck in the midst of anger, pain, and _inaction_ \- her old friend was a buffer of sorts to it. Perhaps he had known - or perhaps he had just gotten bored and wanted something **more** to happen, but regardless, it allowed The Doctor to finally tear her eyes from Tecteun, and relax. She looked to The Master, and with one final glance over to the woman, she moved past him, exiting the TARDIS into a circular, _white_ room.

The Master took a breath; eyes shifting to his mother as he gave her a small shrug.

" _Tense_. I told you; my anger is nothing compared to hers." He reached forward, and patted the console, meeting her eyes. "I'm keeping this, by the way. So _move_ it." He cocked his head to the door, "Forgive me if I don't _trust_ you to be the last one out."


	9. Chapter 9

A white room with artificial light. A desk, with a monitor. A doorway off to the side. Two chairs. A TARDIS - having taken the appearance of a long cylinder, not unlike it's original shape. The Doctor - a woman who didn't take even a moment to observe her surroundings, with a determination to get _away_ from a tense situation that she had partially created. She ended up at the desk, pulling a chair forward as she occupied herself with looking over the TARDIS-like controls; eyes drifting over the complicated set-up that seemed all too familiar. And the monitor - with old Gallifreyan writing surrounding every inch of its surface. This was Tecteun's. She immediately set to work in trying to unlock the computer.

Because it kept her mind busy. And it kept her hands busy.

Tecteun exited the TARDIS a few seconds later, and The Doctor barely gave her a glance; only really acknowledging her presence when The Master emerged shortly after, pressing closed the door to the TARDIS, **firmly**. 

_He was definitely keeping this TARDIS._

He stalked over, looking between the two beings. It was now The Doctor's turn to confront Tecteun, and _oh_ , was he **excited** about it. He grabbed the discarded chair, passing Tecteun _closely_ as he moved. For once, The Doctor and him were on the same side, and so, if only to make Tecteun feel less _in control_ , he moved around the desk, placing that chair next to his old friend. He dumped himself into the seat, crossing his arms as he exchanged a small glance with the woman beside him.

Tecteun was left standing, looking at the two she had once called her children. The Doctor was still typing away on the computer, not paying any attention, but The Master was staring at her, intently. Expectantly. As though he was _waiting_ for something. It made her nervous. On edge. 

But Tecteun had never been one to let feeble emotions like that get in the way of what she intended to do.

Her gaze shifted to the door, and there was a moment of hesitation in between that slight look, and her next action. She moved to the desk, and leaned forward, pressing her hands against the surface of it.

"I want you both to know that everything I've said so far has been the truth."

The typing stopped. The Doctor's gaze was locked onto the screen.

"And that I'm **sorry**."

The Master opened his mouth to reply, but stopped, remembering that this was The Doctor's turn. As much as he wanted to argue against this woman, his old friend and best enemy needed to experience this monster for all she was worth. Because there was only **one** reason he was here now, and that _wasn't_ to be a supportive shoulder to cry on. No. It was to see how far The Doctor would go, and to push for the _painful_ murder of the woman that had shaped their _awful_ histories.

In short, revenge. He was sticking around for revenge.

It wouldn't make it better, he knew that more than anyone. Murdering the Time Lords hadn't quenched his anger or his pain. But damn, was it _**good** _to relish in the visual of their murders. _Was it good_ to know that every single thought that had went into their gruesome ends was something that he _didn't_ \- and would **never** \- regret. He wanted the same for Tecteun.

Because the term _mother_ meant **nothing** to him at this point.

Just dirt on the bottom of his shoe.

Another fact; another bit of _salt_ to rub into the wound.

So he pushed his mouth closed, keeping his gaze on the older woman, as The Doctor finally managed to shift her eyes and bring herself back into reality.

It was difficult. Because she truly hadn't had time to process any of what The Master had shown her in the Matrix. She felt helpless to the knowledge that there was _more_ to her than even what she knew herself. She had always thought that she knew who she was - she knew where she had come from, and she knew her history - as long as it was. But now? There was _so much more_. And so many questions, too. Questions that Tecteun knew the answers to. And questions that Tecteun _didn't_ know the answers to.

"Why did you lie?" The words escaped from her with a puzzled, angry expression on her face as she finally - **finally** \- looked back to the woman who she had once called _a mother_. "Why take away my memories? Why- _why_ force me into being a _child_ again? That's the thing I don't understand. Above everything, why force me to _grow up_ again?"

But even as the words left her mouth, she knew the answer.

Something clicked in her.

"I wasn't doin' what you wanted me t'do anymore, was I? It was a form of control." 

"That wasn't my doing."

"You're kidding me." A spark, and The Doctor abruptly stood; " _Everythin'_ was your doin'. From **day one**. You don't _get_ t'shift blame off y'self. Because through _your_ actions, Tecteun, **billions upon billions** have _**suffered**_. You can't seriously be oblivious to what you created! The Time Lords. They were **monsters.** You created **monsters**. That's what you did. So you could at least do us the common _decency_ of taking ownership over their - and _your -_ actions."

A beat.

A breath.

"...What could I have possibly _done_ to cause them to wipe m'memories and force another childhood on me?"

The question came calmly this time, in contrast to her sudden outburst from before. Her hearts were racing, fast, and The Doctor slowly pulled herself back, lingering almost, in her place. As if trying to re-align herself. And she waited. She waited as the silence wrapped around them. She waited as Tecteun searched her mind to find the _right words_.

But there were no right words.

Anything she would say, would be met with anger and frustration.

Tecteun knew that her end was drawing close. She hadn't been oblivious to The Master's plan.

"The Division made that call." Tecteun moved back, allowing some space between them. "You wanted to escape Gallifrey and see the stars, that's why you joined up. You used it as an excuse to establish some freedom. Freedom that I don't blame you for craving. You agreed to do one mission for them. And you did. You did one mission." A delay. "But... once you finished it, they wiped your memory. They sent you on many missions, and each one they sent you on was your first **known** one. They did that for years. I couldn't stop them." She quickly said, seeing the look on their faces. "I created the Time Lords, but I was **just** an engineer; an explorer. A scientist. They consulted with me less and less, and I had no say in what happened to you." 

There was an uneasy glance over towards The Master.

"They saw you were strong. They saw your potential, and they used you, Doctor."

"Just like you did." The blonde whispered back, eyes never wavering, never moving from the elderly lady.

"...Yes. Just like I did." She confirmed with a pained smile. "..After some time, you worked it out. And it _scared_ you. You left; you ran. Hid away in a place that no one could find you. It took them a long time and a lot of resources to track you down again."

Images arose in The Doctor's mind. Images of a woman. "Ruth." Maybe? It was possible. But if that was before _this_ lifetime, then why did Ruth have the TARDIS? That same blue box. ~~That made no sense~~.

There was a confused, short look from Tecteun to The Master - to see if he knew what she was on about. But a small shrug as the only answer she got. "This is just what I heard." She continued, eyes shifting back. "There's... bits and pieces missing. I don't know the whole story. But they found you, and they couldn't control you anymore, so they did the only thing that they could think of. They wiped your memory, and made you a child. It was a way of control, like you said. To raise you again, into the new way of life. So they could shape you to be who they wanted you to be."

"They did the same thing to me." The Master muttered from beside her. The Doctor's head whipped around, and she stared at him; analysing every detail of his face; as if to look for discrepancies. As if to catch him in a _lie_. Because that was a punch to the _gut_. And she couldn't _believe_ that him... The Master... had held the same experiences as her. It was unbelievable.

All this time. They were more similar than they had thought.

"I convinced them to keep the two of you together. Because you were friends. Inseparable. I didn't want you to lose that. Either of you. I had already harmed you, Doctor, in the worst way imaginable. This was the last thing I could give you. The gift of a friend."

"Gift?" She finally tore her attention from The Master, resting it on Tecteun in a horror she could not hide. "You condemned your own son. You _gave him_ to the Time Lords. Do you **know** what he's been through?"

"Yes." Tecteun interrupted as The Doctor took another breath to speak. " **Yes** , I do. And please, believe me when I tell you that I did not know what was going to happen. I didn't know what they were going to do."

"All the more reason why you shouldn't have **done** it." She growled back, and The Master, who was still the only one sitting, felt something. He had never heard The Doctor defend him like this before. It poked at him in a way that made him falter. The Doctor, in the meantime, gripped a hold on the desk, leaning forward, that very familiar anger rising up in her. "You knew what they were capable of. Because you knew what _you_ were capable of. You experimented, tortured, and **killed** a child - **me** \- for _years_. What made you think that they wouldn't do something just as _bad_ to him?" 

She flung a hand to The Master without looking, almost _hitting_ him as she did.

Tecteun didn't have a response for that.

There was a breath, and she relented after a couple of moments. "...What was the Division?" The Doctor asked, standing up straight, after realising that she was not going to get an answer to what she had just said. "You can at least tell us that."

"...I can't, actually. They didn't just wipe your memories, Doctor - although you _were_ the most valuable member. They wiped everyone's. Only a few, select people knew it's entire history and what it aimed to do. I wasn't one of them."

"So the information's lost?" The Doctor cut in. Because the Time Lords were dead - and all of their knowledge along with them. If Tecteun didn't know - if she was telling the _truth_ about not knowing, then it wasn't possible to rediscover it. Not without a lot of effort, a lot of rule breaking - and a lot of hope. A low, frustrated noise left The Doctor, because while she was being given answers - they weren't what she wanted to hear.

Her mind had been played with, again, and again, and again. And she hadn't known what she had done for them. She knew what she was capable of; she knew how far she would go for something she cared for, and she was _scared_. Because she saw the look on Ruth's face. If it all somehow fit into that - then... then she wasn't even sure she wanted to know.

But there _must_ be a way.

There must be. This was her life. She had a _right_ to know it.

"Can we kill her yet?" 

The Master had perked up, leaning forward and pressing his hands together, eyes locking in on his mothers. It caused The Doctor to frown, and swing around to look at him. Was he being _serious_? "She's your _mother_."

"No." The Master's gaze shifted to meet The Doctor's. There was a moment of understanding between them, as the next words slipped from him. "No, she isn't."

He... was right. She was no mother. But could The Doctor really stand by and let him kill her? No. No, she couldn't. She wasn't that person, no matter what she had done in the past, no matter how she had been hurt by Tecteun, she couldn't. But oh, was it tempting. Eyes shifted from The Master, to the woman, and she took small, shallow breaths, just watching her. Studying her every expression. 

"She runs an orphanage here." The Master said, sensing her apprehension.

The Doctor froze. _"...What?"_

"Or a school. Or was it - a mix of the two?" He cocked his head over to look at Tecteun expectantly, now pulling his feet up and resting them on the desk. "How are those kids, hm? Killed any of them yet?"

Tecteun remained silent, her eyes just on The Doctor; ignoring the man. And somehow, tension between them was worse. Worse than ever. Because The Doctor cared. Cared about innocent lives, and **children...** were the most _innocent_ of beings.

"So? Are you going to join in, Doctor, or are you going to do what you always do? Sit on the sidelines. Defend a horrible creator."

Her mind was racing. Her gaze shifted off Tecteun, as she tried to push herself to think of what to do next. There were more answers to get out of her, right? There had to be. The Master held the key to the TARDIS; her only escape route, right. Children were around. There were decisions to be made.

But that all left her mind, in a very quick _flash_.

One that blinded them. And seconds later, she felt a tight **grip** around her wrists, like _straps_ , pulling her back until she met a **hard** surface behind her. The wind was knocked out of her, and her head hit the hard surface.

She was bound.

Trapped.

As her vision slowly came back; she saw that Tecteun had _not_ been bound. And that after arching her neck to look next to her, The Master was in the exact same position as her.

"I'm sorry, loves." Tecteun breathed, a shake in her voice. "I truly am.

But this has to happen."


	10. Chapter 10

Ropes were on her wrists. She tugged; unrelenting; as the harsh thread _nipped_ into her skin. In the dark room, she pulled herself up the best she could to the wall, keeping her gaze on the jail cell door. She had always fought. Oh. She would **always** fight.

-

He could be _choked_. He could be _grabbed_. He could be beaten to a **pulp**. But the one thing that never failed to scare him, was when his wrists were restrained. Take The Master's wrist, bind him, do **anything** with them, and the result was as clear as it was now.

Panic. 

He was panicking. 

The Master _never_ panicked, and with a sudden need to be _back_ _in control,_ he pushed himself to try and get a handle on his mind. But in turn, that only escalated the amount of anxiety within him. A relentless circle. _I shouldn't be feeling like this, but I am. I'm trying to stop it but I can't. I should be **able** to stop it because I'm the Master. But I'm the Master, and **I shouldn't be feeling like this**._

"Hey- _hey._ Y'hear me? **Breathe**. In and out, Master, in and out."

The Doctor's voice penetrated his mind, jolting him out of it for enough of a moment for him to suck in a sharp breath and quickly analyse the room. The Doctor was beside him, still restrained, and Tecteun was on the computer, her back facing them.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but y' _need_ t'stick with me here."

She spoke again, and it took him a moment for his gaze to suddenly shift up to her. They exchanged a long look with each other. The restrictions around his throat and chest were still suffocating him and it took The Doctor a few guided breaths in and out, for her to finally be comfortable enough with his state to turn her attention **back** to the woman.

"You've got some explainin' t'do." Her voice was immediately poisonous. Not a _part_ of her had trusted Tecteun before, but she had let down her guard. They both had. They had been in Tecteun's _place_ , why hadn't she been more _aware_ of that fact? This was a woman who had tortured and killed; who had established the worst _monsters_ in society. She was a woman who could give Davros a run for his money ---- but then again. Davros had been a _scared child_ , growing up in a war. Tecteun was just an **awful** memory.

"I'm sorry. But I need you. One final time."

The Doctor stared, narrowing her gaze as she pulled at the restrains, wanting more than anything to be able to move around. To be able to _look_ this woman in the eyes. Cowards. They were cowards when they spoke with their back turned. And _not sorry at all_.

" **What. For?** " 

Swallowing hard, Tecteun turned, peering to The Doctor and The Master. There was a hesitation. Then she moved, approaching them, focusing more so on The Doctor, than her struggling son.

"This planet needs healing. The people who inhabit this world are dying. They need sunlight. They need resources; they need to grow and **build**. They cannot do that this far underneath the ground."

"How does _that_ have anythin' t'do with us?"

"It doesn't." Tecteun blinked, glancing briefly towards The Master as she took a step closer. Her face right in The Doctor's, she tilted, analysing the other woman's face carefully. "It has everything to do with **you**. The Master is just along for the ride. I would have let him go, but your relationship is stronger than I believed. I'm afraid he'll... involve himself." She frowned faintly. Moving back, she turned once again, occupying herself with her computer. "Your regeneration energy can be used to save a planet, Doctor. Not _just_ a species this time. It's clear to me now, more than ever, that the energy you possess is _endless_. Enough to heal the surface, and give this race a new chance at life. Isn't that what you always inspire to do? 

Give hope? Save lives?"

"...You haven't learned, have you?" The Doctor stared at her, in disbelief, "You're still that same person. The person who tortured a child for their own personal gain--"

"This _isn't_ for my personal gain. This is for the benefit of an entire planet."

"Isn't that what you said last time?" The weak voice of The Master finally entered the conversation. He was not in a good state, but yet somehow, despite the hearts beating in his ears as harshly as the drums once had, he had managed to keep up. His gaze shifted from his mother - who had turned around to look to them - to The Doctor. He gave a sarcastic smirk, through the panic he had, as his wrists turned _harshly_ in the binds. "She said her race was sick. She said that **I** was sick. That's why she did what she did to you."

"...It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" The Doctor turned her head from The Master, back to Tecteun. "Inflicting _hurt and pain_ , Tecteun - there's _never_ an excuse for that. **Never**. There is always another way, let me go and we'll _work out_ another way. Whatever y'plan t'do; whatever you're _intendin'_ , look what happened last time. **Y'can't** know what _endless regeneration energy_ will do to a planet. It doesn't just _heal_ , it _changes_. For us, it means a new face; a new body; a new personality, but for a **planet** , or any kind of terrestrial object - it's _impossible_ to know what you're going t'create, or what will happen t'the people who happen t'be on the planet at the time. Those children y'look after? What happens if they regenerate, in _conjunction_ with the planet? It's a process where every cell burns away and returns anew. What happens if those cells are _mixed up_?"

"There have been experiments done before." Tecteun pressed her lips together. "There were unconventional tests performed during the Time War. This was one of them."

" _Experiments!_ \- but did you **ever** actually see it happen? Did y'ever actually **try** it? Because my bet is? Y'didn't. Because if it **had** worked, you would have done it with Gallifrey or any number of worlds that got destroyed in the war. And if it **hadn't** worked, you wouldn't be tryin' it _now_. This is the first **actual** attempt, isn't it? And you're just what? Hopin' it'll go the way you want? Do you have any idea how _stupid_ that is?"

"You're more than I ever thought you would be." The woman breathed, eyes just locked onto The Doctor, in a way that couldn't really be explained. She had heard of The Doctor - she knew exactly what she was capable of. But this? Just the sheer amount of _talking_? Just the amount of common sense she was making? It was **remarkable**. "I've tested it enough." She nodded, absently. "My own regenerations were never limited. Neither were The Master's, as a matter of fact. But since I first came to this planet, I've been experimenting with my own. Every test has been a success. It was just a matter of finding you." She shook her head a bit. "I'm too weak to continue. I don't have enough strength to help the world."

"If you didn't limit mine..." The Master's voice entered the room again, and while he still wasn't good, he had obviously calmed a little. He had followed The Doctor's breathing advice, and it had worked surprisingly well. "..Why didn't you just use **me**? I've been here for a month. You could have done this at _any_ moment. Why her?"

"It had to be her." Tecteun reasoned, a small frown appearing on her expression. "You mean too much to me."

There was a stunned silence.

The Doctor turned her head towards The Master, who had officially stopped breathing again. Because that was new for him. She knew that. Someone choosing to spare him over herself. Someone _caring_ about him more than The Doctor. Although, knowing him... He'd twist it in his mind. Still become the victim. There was a small noise, akin to a scoff, that escaped her as she looked back over to Tecteun. 

"If he meant anythin' to you, y'would have helped him a long time ago. But fine. I'll buy it. Y'don't want t'use him. Then _listen t'me,_ Tecteun, because if you have **any** doubts about this, if you think for a _second_ that it could go wrong and start changin' or _hurtin'_ the people who live on this planet, then you need t'let him go."

She felt The Master's eyes suddenly burn into the side of her face.

" _Y'need_ to let him go, because if you don't, and somethin' **does** go wrong, then you've killed the only person y'seem to have **ever** cared about. Your son. Let him go, let him leave in that TARDIS. This doesn't have to involve him."

Tecteun side glanced The Master, and then with a calm breath, focused on her precious Timeless Child. "No. He'll do what he can to stop me."

" _No_. That's the thing! No, he won't! Because he's just found the first person, **ever** , who has loved him enough t'do somethin' that he's never experienced before. Tecteun, you **picked** him. Y'could've _used_ him, all that time, but instead? Y'chose to _save_ him; to respect him like he had always needed t'be respected. Because of how **you** feel about him. Do you not understand the significance of that?" She shook her head slightly. "I do. I know him. I know him better than anyone. I guarantee you. He won't lift a single finger. Because you mean just as much to _him_ , as he does to you.

**Let him go**.

You've hurt him enough. It's time to save him now. It's time to be a _mother_."


	11. Chapter 11

It pained her. The fact that this woman, who _should have meant the world to her_ , was now wanting to hurt her once more. If everything that she had been hearing was right, it meant that her entire reason for it all, though, was to **save her son**. Which just so happened to be the man restrained next to her. The Master always spoke of how _she_ had been the special one, how _she_ had been **SO MUCH MORE** than him. It always pained him how _she_ had never given _him_ the time of day, but now with this new reveal? She could find it very easy to blame him for everything. Very easy.

But she didn't.

Because the true villain here was the woman standing before them. The one who had taken an innocent child, and had tried to use that child for her own personal gain. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the Time Lords had come from her. And it was through _no fault of The Doctor's_ , that had happened. And - it was through _no fault_ of The Master's either.

Not unless he had known. 

But even then, he had been a **child**.

Children were **innocent**. 

Children were the ones that needed to be protected. Not _blamed_ for the actions of others, especially not when it came to something as serious as this.

She swallowed back, trying to resist the urge to look towards The Master. He knew her. He knew her enough to know what she was doing. But the problem was - _she_ knew _him_ enough to know that he was going to make up his own mind about it. Was his hatred towards her stronger than towards his mother? Would he take this opportunity to leave them be? Finally get rid of her? Maybe even - to stay on Tecteun's side, to have someone who loved him, who cared for him? She didn't know. She honestly didn't. The Master was so _unpredictable_ at the best of times, but when it came to actual, _genuine_ emotions? She was at a loss.

"He deserves _more_ than this. You know it." The Doctor breathed, focusing only on Tecteun.

Tecteun, meanwhile, was torn.

The two of them had once been her children - or as close as The Doctor could have been - she had been. She loved them both. And while she would **always** pick The Master, there were just some things that she couldn't ignore from the one that had once been Theta Sigma. Her expression shifted, almost unrecognisable from her previous worry, and she turned, focusing herself once more on setting up the processes. The sooner she did this, the sooner it was over.

"Fine." She whispered, and as soon as the word left her lips, The Master jolted forward, falling to the ground in a panicked lump. She spun, focusing a weapon now, on her son. She motioned towards the TARDIS with it. "Get in, Koschei. Turn away. Don't come back."

Finally, The Doctor looked towards The Master, eyes analysing every inch of what she could see. Trying to pick up on anything that he was doing - or even, thinking of doing. Putting her faith in the Master had always ended _badly_ , but... But this was the only way. Tecteun _cared_ for The Master. **They needed to use that** if they were going to stop her. 

But the problem with that sentence was the word _they_.

_Come on, Master. For once, work with me._ _For once._

Eyes met hers, and for a moment her breath caught. It was as if he had _heard_ her. But she knew that wasn't the case. Time Lords were _psychic,_ but not mind-readers.

...Still.

"Koschei."

Tecteun's voice cracked through them. Swallowing hard, The Master turned his head in the direction of his **mother**. It took him a few moments, but he staggered up, almost _falling_ heavily into the doors of the nearby TARDIS. And in a second, he was **gone**.

Gone.

Oh.

Alright then.

The Doctor's eyes nervously shifted back to Tecteun, and the woman simply turned, and continued setting everything up. 

Okay, _she wasn't_ _going to lie_. She had hoped for more.

Because he had left her there. With Tecteun. 

...

Why was she feeling so _betrayed_?

It was **The Master**. 

It's what he _did_.

An irritable anger arose in her, and she pulled her hands around, trying to release herself from the binds. She was on her own, now. She had to stop Tecteun, **on her own**. She suddenly felt like a child again. A child she couldn't remember. At the mercy of a woman who had a delusional idea of _right and wrong_.

Her voice got stuck in her throat, and after a couple difficult seconds trying to decide her **next tactic** , she spoke.

"...Mum." 

A breath. Tecteun stilled, her hands coming to a stop over the keyboard.

"I used to call y'that, didn't I?" The Doctor shifted her head a bit, cocking it, as her eyes focused into the back of the older lady's head. "Because you _were_. You were a mum t'me, weren't you? I don't remember, but... I **saw** the memories in the Matrix. I saw how **close** we were. Before you knew what I could do." She frowned a bit, her breath shallow as she tried to organise her thoughts. "He might've been your biological son but I was still basically your child. And look; just look at me now. Look at how _far_ I've come. I am who I am because of you. And while that can be _bad_ , it can also be immensely **good**. The things I've done. All the people I've saved. You know I'm **capable** of helpin' you here. _You know_ I am. So why? Why regeneration energy? Why pick that over-- I dunno, using the TARDIS that just flew off t'move them all off this planet! There are **several** solutions, several _good_ solutions. I can work with you. Let me. Why won't y'give me a _chance_?"

There was a silence, and Tecteun, without answering, returned back to her preparations.

The Doctor let out a groan.

So much for that.

But then she felt something.

Something all too familiar. 

Her mind was still raw from Gallifrey, so it stung. But; a _being_. A request. A **connection** , a... _contact_. 

She sunk into it, her head rolling back as her eyes _closed_ gently.

He had come back.


	12. Chapter 12

Tecteun had made their connection.

She had maintained it, all of this time.

He had told her himself. It was going to be her downfall.

And now, he wasn't going to let The Doctor influence his actions. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him. Because he was going to kill her.

How **fucking** dare she say that she **_cared_**.

How **fucking** dare she put **all of this** on **him**.

How **fucking** dare she do it in the name of _his_ happiness.

Because he had never been happy. Never. The little boy who watched his friend grow up, changing face more often than he changed his clothes - he hadn't been **happy**. The shaking girl that he had regenerated into hadn't been. The boy; Koschei, who grew up with The Doctor again, and again, and again, who was _always_ compared to her, who _never_ lived up to her - **he** was never **happy**.

And she had abandoned him. No matter what she said; she had **left** him.

And she was going to pay.

_'Y'plan?'_

The Master turned his face away from the flames. He had gone back; began the destruction of the planet they were on. The Orphan planet. The one that was unfit for life anyway. It was the one other thing he knew that Tecteun **cared** about.

Stepping close to the other side of the door, he pressed a hand to it. He didn't respond to the voice in his mind; he didn't respond to The Doctor. He just needed her to know what was coming. And if that meant sparking a worry within her that made her yell and try to stop him? Well, so be it. She couldn't escape. Tecteun had seen to that, and if he was confident in anything, it was in Tecteun's ability to keep people where she wanted them to be.

He entered.

A waft of **hot** air made it's way into the white, circular room, and Tecteun found herself _frozen_ , unable to move even an inch.

A moment of _complete_ shock spread through the area. 

"... _What've you done?!_ " The Doctor's eyes were wide; darting into The Master as she felt the immense **HEAT** coming from the room he had just emerged from. Her heart rate increasing; she didn't need the answer. Because he had killed them. It was obvious. The way he moved; the way he charged into the room, all ready with a device that was currently **pointing** to Tecteun, **STUNNING** her. He was confident. He was _bouncing_. And there was a **grin** on his face. A quick glance towards Tecteun, and she realised. 

No, no, _no, no!_

"Master- don't. As bad as she is, you can't kill her!"

" ** _Can't I?_** " He swung around, and approached The Doctor with big, determined strides. His gaze was _unwavering_ as he simply _breathed_ into her. "...What's stopping me? **You**?" 

A breath.

No response. 

He turned his attention to Tecteun. This time, he wouldn't be caught off guard. This time, he was going to make her _suffer_. 

"Master-- _killing her won't make a difference_. It won't **do** **ANYTHIN** '."

"Oh, it'll make a difference." He whispered, coming face to face with the elderly woman. The woman who could say nothing; nor do nothing, in the midst of his _hold_ over her.

"No; just- just **THINK**. She _cares_ about yo-"

"No, she doesn't. And even if she did, Doctor- you'd think I _want_ that?" Now there were daggers being thrown in the direction of the restrained _blonde_. "She is the reason my life is a living hell. And oh - _don't get me wrong_ , so are **you**. But there's a difference. You **don't** pretend to care. You leave me on abandoned planets; in long lost realms; in the middle of Dalek fleets and on cold, hard floors. You trap me in cages and you **force** me into trying to become a version of myself that you can _approve_ of. You give me false hope; and I bet you're wondering now; how is that different to what _she_ has done? How is that _better_ in any way?" A small smile, and a look over to Tecteun. "Isn't _much_ different. But..." He tilted his head, taking steps towards his mother and raising his chin; sizing her up. "The difference is, Doctor - I **hate** her. With everything I have; with every _cell_ in my body. I **HATE** her. You? ...It's **more**. There is something infinitely more complex between us. Something not even _we_ can identify. And I'm not ready to part with that."

He flicked a switch.

Tecteun disappeared, into the device he was holding, almost like she was _sucked_ in. And without a moment's hesitation, he ran to the computer, dropping the restraints on The Doctor, who quickly **fell** to the ground with a pained _gasp_.

"Ah! Knew it. A sedation setting! God, she _is_ horrible. To think she let you do all that **talking**."

The voice made her wince. There was a sharp pain in the back of her neck, and she tried to stumble up, only just managing it. But she quickly lost her footing; something hitting her like a _brick_ , pulling her below, pulling her towards unconsciousness.

_Sedation setting._

"Got you. I got you."

Hands wrapped around her, and the last thing she could remember was her head pressed against a chest, with a double heartbeat.

-

The hum of a TARDIS awoke her. She felt little square spaces pressing into her cheek; the grid of the floor. Heavy eyes opened, slowly, and she began to breathe, something pressing down on her mind; surrounding it. Fog. Heavy sedation was her _enemy_ , and something she definitely wasn't a fan of. With a wince; she peered around, the purple and orange lighting of The Master's TARDIS being the first thing she picked up on. The second? The shoes that were racing around the console. 

What had _happened_?

"...Oh." She breathed, lightly, rolling slowly over, wincing at the light as she began to recall the events that had just taken place.

The Master smoothly entered her vision.

_"You called?"_

He rose an eyebrow with an impressed smirk on his face.

"Still works, then? The whole ' **O** ' thing. I have to say, I'm **very** proud of myself for that one. Still getting a payoff out of it, you know how _awesome_ that is?"

She pressed a hand to her forehead, and she slowly but surely arose. The fog was leaving her mind at a steady pace. But- she was missing something. Something important. 

"Tecteun. What- what did you do to her?"

The Master's face scrunched up, and with a harsh sniff, he returned to the console, occupying himself much the same way The Doctor did in front of her fam. "She's gone."

She wasn't taking that for an answer. She shot up quickly, gripping hold onto the console next to him to steady herself as she breathed; eyes _focusing_ on his, despite the rush of dizziness that came with her sudden movements. " _What_ did you do with her?"

"Oh, the serious voice. Gotta love the serious voice."

" ** _Master_**."

" _Oo_. Mad now." Swinging around, he got right in her face. His expression was mixed with curiosity; and frustration. "What does it **matter**? You know as well as I do, Doctor, she deserves whatever comes to her."

"Yes, but you don't have to be the one to _inflict_ it on her. We can work somethin----"

"You said yes." A finger wagged in her direction as he moved away. "Didn't hear anything past that."

" _Tell me!"_

And in a frustrated movement, she jolted forward; shoving him. Not enough to knock him over, but enough for him to face her. There was a silence between them; a tenseness.

She needed to know what he had done with her. There was a frustration in her; there was an anger. She hadn't been done with her yet. She hadn't gotten all the answers she wanted out of her. She wasn't **ready** to give up Tecteun to any kind of fate that The Master had planned for her. Because there was _so much in her_. So many memories, so much information; perhaps even more than what she had told them, _and_ what she had seen in the Matrix. There were still mysteries about her past that she **NEEDED** to discover, and Tecteun was the _first step_ to those answers.

She needed to know. She needed to know that he hadn't killed her. She needed to know that there was still a **chance**.

"...There are fates worse than death, Doctor."

The answer came quietly; softly. Almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

"She deserved something more than even the Time Lords got. She deserved eternity." 

There was a careful step towards The Doctor, and he reached out, motioning to the TARDIS.

"Do you want to see her?"


	13. Chapter 13

...She had done this before.

Done something _extremely_ similar to this.

It made her sick remembering it.

It was so long ago, but she remembered every second. Remembered that each and every punishment she gave them were basically _on the spot_ thinking. Not premeditated. But she had been angry. So, _so_ angry. 

It was a part of her that she _never_ wanted to be reminded of. But it seemed as though, The Master had taken a leaf out of her book.

The Family of Blood.

Tecteun.

Thrown into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy.

Unbreakable chains.

To live there for all eternity.

"...It fits, doesn't it?"

The Master spoke softly, next to her, the extreme coldness of space allowing a gentle draft to touch their faces. The Doctor stood there, transfixed on the image. Somehow, as horrified as she was, she felt calm. Even next to The Master, in a TARDIS of _his_ control. Even after she knew what he had done to the planet they had just come from. She just felt... _calm_. 

She hated thinking it. But...

It was better than she expected.

She had just expected The Master to torture her for a bit, then kill her. This took... work. This took a lot of work. Sourcing the chains, finding the right place, knowing the ins and outs of what he had to do to make it as painful as possible for her?

It felt like a conclusion. The right one.

And it wasn't her. It really wasn't, to think that. At least, it wasn't what or who she wanted to be. But... With a deep frown, she decided. On this occasion? Despite it not sitting right with her, despite it all; she decided to **accept** it.

Because she had a dark side. And she was _hurt_. And if anyone deserved something like this, it was Tecteun.

This woman had been responsible for many things. Many of the things that The Doctor had fought against all of her life. This solution gave her comfort in the knowledge that she could no longer do harm, and gave her the ability to indulge a little in the forbidden part of her that _ached_ for revenge.

They were silent. Watching her. 

The two of them.

It was The Doctor that eventually broke the silence.

"...What happens now?"

A small breath came from behind her, and The Master tilted his head to rest against the TARDIS doors.

"I found your TARDIS. And you better be thankful for it. Recon Six has a very high security level."

A small frown; that didn't feel right. She carefully looked over to him.

"You're just going to give me my TARDIS back? Let me go? Come on. That's not your style."

"Call this a unique situation." 

...Well, she supposed that was true. She looked back out to space. To Tecteun. A curious question arose in her; one that she couldn't stop herself from asking. Because something had been bugging her, and she had _never_ been good at keeping her mouth shut. Especially when it came to the reasons behind The Master's actions. 

"...Were you there? Was that how y'knew all those passageways?" There was a silence. The Doctor gave it a couple of seconds, then pushed herself to continue, keeping her gaze firmly in front of her. "Were y'there as Missy?"

Another silence. The Master thought about all that The Doctor had witnessed. He thought about everything that had happened since Gallifrey. And he decided; this was the closest to friendship they would have in a long while. His gaze shifted; eyes moving over her bouncy, blonde hair - that never seemed to get dirty; the odd coat that suited her so well; the trousers that showed her ankles and mismatched socks. And he spoke, his voice lower, and gentler, than The Doctor had ever heard it.

"...The regeneration before the one you knew as Missy."

There was a lump in her throat, and no longer being able to stare at Tecteun, she turned, finally seeing the expression on The Master's face. Her hearts dropped, and she couldn't help but close the space between them with a very _small_ step. "...How long?"

This was difficult. Difficult for the both of them. But something made him stay, despite his sudden urge to either shove The Doctor out of the TARDIS or go to fly them away. This seemed... important. In a way that he couldn't describe.

"Four hundred and seventy three years."

As the answer escaped his lips, a small horror crossed the face of The Doctor. "You never told me. Why did you _never_ tell me?"

"It wasn't relevant."

She opened her mouth to protest to that; but nothing came out. Not a single thing. Because what could she say? What could she possibly say to make that right? Or fix it? Or-- do anything with it? _All that time in the cage_. All that time trying to make Missy **see** the best parts of the universe. All that effort. She had never known. Slowly, she relaxed in a small, helpless defeat, and as soon as The Master noted that, he moved, finally closing the doors on Tecteun's fate. He moved past, his actions causing one final draft to shuffle the Doctor's hair. 

"Let's get you home."

As The Doctor watched him moved to the console, she frowned. She was awkward in these situations. Really, socially awkward, and it felt _really strange_ for it to be The Master that she was facing with this. But there was something that drove her to approach him. To place her hand on his arm, to stop him from moving. Because-

_She couldn't leave it like that._

"Trust me." 

She breathed the request; giving him a careful look, meeting his gaze, and after a few moments, she noted the cautious acceptance in the stare back.

She was slow. So very slow. But once her arms were around him, she pulled him close, allowing him an embrace that he hadn't had in _so very long_. Swallowing thickly, she closed her eyes, and she felt The Master - resistant at first - melt into the hold. She felt his arms begin to wrap around her, and she slowly lowered them to the ground of the TARDIS, a hand moving to the back of his head. A comforting touch. A comforting hold. More than she had _ever_ given him in the past.

"M'sorry." She whispered, frowning faintly when she felt her shirt begin to stick to her chest; a dampness accumulating in the thin fabric. Those... were tears."..M'so sorry."

There was no response.

So, she held him there, for as long as he wanted; for as long as he needed.

On the TARDIS ground, floating in space.

Letting him cry.


End file.
